Thread: Border fence still an issue for local communities

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/met ... 97376.html

Dec. 12, 2006, 5:29PM
Border fence still an issue for local communities


By SUZANNE GAMBOA
Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The end of the congressional session left local communities along the Texas-Mexico border with no say about where the fence between the countries should go and area mayors say they'll continue to try to get a law erecting the barrier repealed.

Del Rio Mayor Efrain Valdez said today that he and other border mayors were promised by both Texas senators that the fence wouldn't be built because not enough money had been provided for it. Republican Sens. Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn also had hoped to change the fence law when Congress returned from elections. But their efforts failed.

"We're not taking a back seat and saying, 'they're going to handle it.' We wanted to take the bull by the horns," said Valdez, co-chairman of the Texas Border Coalition's immigration reform committee.

The coalition is made up of border mayors from El Paso to Brownsville.

President Bush signed a law in October that would erect 700 miles of fence along the border. The law dictated where the fence would go.

The mayors have secured an agreement from Texas Gov. Rick Perry to work against the fence. The mayors do not oppose a "virtual fence" that would use sensors, cameras and other technology. But Valdez said it would be a waste of money to build a physical fence, because it would have to be backed up with cameras and sensors anyway.

The fence has been vehemently opposed by Mexico, and some border officials worry about how it will affect their relationship with their sister cities across the border.

Some lawmakers refused to vote for the changes to the law because they oppose building the fence in general.

"There is no improving that bill. That's like putting lipstick on a pig. Nothing is going to make this any better. In the next Congress, we will work to repeal the fence provisions altogether," Rep. Solomon Ortiz, D-Corpus Christi, said last week.

Congress provided just $1.2 billion for border fencing, not enough to build the 700 miles, and gave Homeland Security leeway in deciding how to build it. Some of that money will go to building the Texas Mobile System, which Homeland Security described as providing mobile towers, command and control upgrades, unattended ground sensors and other equipment for the "initial miles" in Texas.

In a recent report, Homeland Security told Congress securing the southwestern border through a "virtual fence" will cost nearly $8 billion over the next five years.

That estimate does not include spending on agents, support staff, facilities, air assets or tactical operations or any additional fencing costs that is not part of the DHS plan, the agency said in its report.

Congress provided just $1.2 billion for border fencing, not enough to build the 700 miles, and gave Homeland Security leeway in deciding how to build it.

So what else is new? samo samo pass the buck ... oops I mean "bill" to appease the masses knowing it won't be funded.

Interesting stance taken by the mayors. I would be curious what their names were.

Another thought is how dangerous is it that Homeland Security (aka FEMA gestapo) makes the "decisions" where to place the never was gonna be fence?

And yet another afterthought: Is anyone else getting a dozen or so "work fo the DHS ... Career in law enforcement etc " spam emails?

"We're not taking a back seat and saying, 'they're going to handle it.' We wanted to take the bull by the horns," said Valdez, co-chairman of the Texas Border Coalition's immigration reform committee.

The coalition is made up of border mayors from El Paso to Brownsville...

The mayors have secured an agreement from Texas Gov. Rick Perry to work against the fence.

Rick Perry Strikes again!

Anybody that thinks the fence is a bad idea, then lets put them on the other side of it. I'm not kidding!

Dixie

Anybody that thinks the fence is a bad idea, then lets put them on the other side of it. I'm not kidding!

Best suggestion I have heard yet Dixie.

Thanks Xan!